Sarah and Jason quickly stopped in their tracks dropping their shovels to the ground with both shouting in disbelief. “What.”

“He is still alive. Please help me get these chains off.” Faith shouted trying to remove the chains. This proved useless as the chains were much stronger being forged by high grade steel.

“Please help. He must not die.” she pleaded.

Jason ran to her aid sliding into the grass and dirt that surrounded Faith and Nico right up to beside his body.

“Jesus Christ, I believed him to be dead. When this whole time he laid her alive.” Jason shouted loudly blaming himself for not checking on him.

“Go get me that axe by the wood pile, girl.” Jason pointed at the axe that lay embedded in the stump. “Go.”

Faith quickly rose up running down to the barn where the woodpile was. Grabbing the axe and quickly running back to Jason. She gave him the axe just as her mother arrived with blankets in her arms throwing them over his raw bleeding back. Jason took the axe quickly hacking away at the chains trying to break them. After several direct hits with the axe, he finally managed to break the chain from his right wrist. Doing the same to the chain on his left wrist it broke too. With the chains now broken Nico was free at least in part as the shackles still stayed around his wrist. The shackles were still locked as they had no key. Jason picked up the limp and beaten body of Nico carefully (so not to hurt him anymore) carried him into his home. He placed Nico gently onto his bed. Sarah pushed Jason aside so that she could attend to him as Blackie kept a watchfully eye on all of them as he laid down beside his master’s head. Sarah did not even try to remove Blackie instead choosing to focus on saving Nico. Faith tried to help but her love for him got in the way. So much that she was doing more damage than good. It was at this point that her mother shouted to her to leave along with Jason. Reluctantly Faith left with Jason but not before telling her mother.

“Save him, mom. He has to live.”

“I will try my best, child.” Sarah spoke as she warmed up some water in the fireplace. Then gathered some bandages from the scraps of cloth she found in Nicole’s knitting basket.

Jason took Faith under his arm and guided her out of the house. They walked to where his parents laid and handed her a shovel.

“It is time we finish burying the dead. Faith. Give them the peace they so truly deserve.

Come.” Jason spoke as he took her hand leading Faith to a large oak tree in the forest.

“Under this great oak tree that is surrounded by its leaves for protection. This will be their place so they could have their sleep. I will dig for Coster and you for Nicole.” Jason stated as he started to dig the graves that faced the rising sun.

They dug for hours until the graves were six feet deep and seven feet long. Once they were done the two went back and placed the bodies on a trolley. Taking them to the oak tree and placing them gently into their graves. Then the two of them started to put the dirt over the bodies.

When everything was done Jason put down his shovel and spoke “Dear Lord, you take two kind, generous and loving people from this world. Two who have never done no wrong nor harm to anyone. They were good kind honest folks who even took care of and love a child. Who they did not conceive like he was always theirs. Take care of them dear lord, let them have the peace they so richly deserve.”

These words brought Faith to tears as she placed wildflowers upon their graves. She had picked these flowers earlier before all the evil happened when there was still life on this farm. While they did this, Sarah was kept busy with Nico as his wounds were great. Once she had the hot water, she added some cool water to make it lukewarm then add a lot of salt to make it strong enough to cleanse the wounds. She walked into his room to begin. She tried to remove the blanket, but it was stuck to his back because of the blood on his back. With gently movements she removed the blanket but had to pull a little harder where it was stuck. With all of the pulling and tugging Nico did not make a move or a sound. Once this was done, she preceded to wash away the blood from his back and arms until it was all gone and only the wounds remain. The shock of all the open wounds sent shivers down her spine. The scars were so deep that many of them needed to be sutured together in order for it to heal. Those that were only slight deep could be bandage.

Sarah took her time suturing the wounds not to make them look puffy or anything rather to make them tight so they could heal properly and without become infected. When she was finished suturing, she wrapped up his back with the cloth she had gathered. Wrapped his back until it was completely covered and protected. Sarah carefully rolled him over onto his side so she could wash his face and chest. As she washed the blood from his face and the wound above his eye, she noticed that it was deep like the ones on his back. This would need to be sutured but she had to be careful so not to damage his eye. Lucky for Nico she had steady hands. By the time she had the wound stitched it was four inches long and he would always carry it for the rest of his life. Sarah covered the wound with the cloth and wrapped it around his head so it would be kept clean.

With all of his wounds taken care of Sarah finished washing his body to his trousers to which she had to remove. These trousers were soiled with his blood and urine. As he laid there in his naked glory, Sarah washed him down one side and up the other side not really caring about the morals of seeing a young man naked. It didn’t bother her that it was not her son or husband her only thoughts were of cleaning him and making him comfortable so that he could heal. After all of this was done, she went to work removing the shackles from his wrists which proved to be quite difficult. In time she managed to remove them with great persistence and once they were removed, she saw that the shackles left wounds too. Deep purple and blue bruises on his wrists along with deep scratches made by the screws that held the shackles together.

These too would stay with him forever as not all wounds heal from where he was before not a single scratch on his body. Now it will be here forever the wounds on his back, wrists and most notably his eye. For all to see and to remind him of what happened this day for the rest of his days. Sarah covered him up with his blankets to keep him warm and safe. He laid there unconscious while his dog Blackie was curled up beside his head. Blackie’s chin was resting on his shoulder protecting him from whoever should come whether it be friend or foe.

Sarah looked out his bedroom window at the night sky, the bright stars and the new moon. “Watch over him this night lord. Keep him safe.” she prayed while looking at the sky. Before leaving him to rest Sarah told Blackie “Watch over him. Keep him safe.” then closed the door to his room.

Sarah walked around the Gages home not to pry but rather to see her old friend’s home and the memories they had made. She walked everywhere from the kitchen to the bath that Coster had built for his family. But she would not enter her friend’s bedroom as it was a sign of respect, so she closed their bedroom door before Faith and Jason returned from burying them.

The moment Faith saw her mother she ran up to Nico’s door asking her quite loudly.

“How is he Mother?”

“Faith.” Sarah spoke grabbing her daughter’s arm preventing her from disturbing Nico.

“Mother.” Faith shouted trying to get away.

“Let him be daughter, Nico needs to rest now alone he’s been through more than anyone of can ever know. Not even I was a slave to the white men was I or anyone else treated like he or his parents were.” Sarah spoke trying to calm Faith down.

“I don’t understand mother?” Faith asked confused at what her mother said as she was never a slave like her mother was.

“Sit down, daughter.” Sarah asked her daughter letting go of her arm and taking her to the lounge. Sitting her down hard while Jason stayed back not wanting to get involved. Also, he did not want to intrude on matters not pertaining to him. “You see daughter, Nico never really belonged anywhere not even with his own people. He was never raised in that world but ours. Nico is not a white man but a black one. Yes, his skin is not ours, but his heart is. What happened here today with those men only showed how they think of him. They see him as a slave - a traitor to his own race even though it was they who betrayed him first. Now he has no home, no family, no place to belong too. Daughter, he is alone. What they did to him no one deserves to be treated that way.

His body will heal, daughter but first he will get sick, very sick that is when he will need us the most. We will be there for him. It will be up to us to make sure that he doesn’t become like those who done this evil deed. He will recover but his heart and body will be forever scared as well as his mind. That is why we must make sure he stays good as he always been. He can’t become like those that did this to him. His soul is good, and it must stay that way for his revenge to be justified on those that had done this. He needs to be his mother’s son. You need to understand Faith that when evil such like this is done to a person. It can forever color a person’s opinion even when not all are evil like Jason. That is why we must help him to see that there are good people in this world on either side. I can tell you that until his vengeance is sated, he can never love you but give him time.”

Faith looked up at her mother an understanding of her words. “I understand mother. What can I do to help?” she spoke proudly.

Jason put his hand upon Faith’s shoulder and gently spoke. “We will have to tend to the animals for none are branded but we will leave a horse for Nico. By not being branded we can let them go back and join other herds or roam free. It can wait till morning child. I will stay out here by the door should anyone come here this night. You and your mother should get some sleep.”

Sarah agreed with Jason as it has been a long day for all of them and for the animals to be set free like Nico. None really were in the mood to eat so they turned in for the night. Sarah and Faith sleeping on the floor beside the roaring fire. Jason took up guard by the back door soon falling asleep as well. All three slept but it was not a peacefully one as the sight of Nicole, Coster and Nico haunted their dreams. All through the night to the point where once they woke up none of them could fall back to asleep. When Sarah woke at dawn she got up and checked on Nico who still laid unconscious but burning with fever. When she touched his head, she could feel that his temperature was high-higher than anything she felt before. Sarah quickly left the house running out to the well to collect cold water. Running back into the house closing his door behind her for privacy.

Nico burned with fever so badly that he began to shiver and twitch even Blackie could feel this. He tried to help by licking his face to no avail. Sarah put more blankets on him as she tried to keep him cool with cold wet cloths upon his brow. Nothing seemed to help, she continued to do this for the next several hours. Jason and Faith woke up short while later. Both went to the barn to attend the animals. After the cows were milked and the eggs were collected, they set the animals free. They headed back to the house where Faith preceded to make some breakfast for them. Jason helped her make the breakfast. Back inside Nico’s bedroom he began to speak through his fevered dreams.

“Stop. Please stop.” he mumbled. “Please don’t leave me, momma.”

Sarah watched and listened as he spoke gently rubbing his shoulder for comfort. “It’s okay Nico let it out.” she whispered in his ear.

“Please don’t leave me, I don’t want to be alone. Please come back.” he shouted alerting

Faith and Jason causing them to run into the room. “Please don’t kill them. Please somebody help us. Stop. Stop.” Nico continued to shout to their horror.

Sarah sat down on the bed cradling his head. “Get out please.” she asked the two of them. For she was concerned for Nico’s well-being.

Not a few seconds later Nico began to get violent as he started to fight an imaginary man who wasn’t there. Sarah grabbed his arms holding him tight so he would injure himself anymore. “Argh.” he shouted over and over again in sheer agony as if he was being whipped again.

“Momma.” he cried reaching for her. “I love you momma, please don’t leave me.” his words brought tears to all of their eyes. Even Jason who rarely cried as his former profession did not allow it. “Please I can’t take no more just let me die. Let me die.” he pleaded. “No....” he shouted one last time before he stopped moving and talking altogether.

“Mom.” Faith asked with tear filled eyes.

“It’s okay, honey, he still draws breath. He is just asleep, but he still burns with fever. You two go have your breakfast. I’m going to stay with him a little longer. Whatever you hear don’t worry. Both of us will be okay. He just needs to let it all out so he can begin to heal not his body rather his heart and soul.” Sarah spoke while stroking his hair quite motherly.

“Okay but be careful and should he need anything or you, don’t hesitate to call either of us.” Jason told Sarah as he ushered Faith reluctantly out of the room. Closing the door behind them.

“I want to be with him.” Faith shouted at Jason hitting him in the chest with her open palms not hard enough to hurt him. Just to let out her frustrations breathing heavily leaning into his chest after letting everything go.

“It’s fine, Faith.” Jason said lightly patting her on the back. “Forget about it and let us have our breakfast okay.” he continued holding her face looking into her eyes. Until she nodded in agreement. “Okay.’ he spoke quietly leading her to the table where they sat and enjoyed their breakfast.  Try to enjoy their meal the best they could but all around them were the ghosts of the past - memories of better time for the Gages.